Weekend Recap

I'm writing about what I did last weekend, although the upcoming weekend is nearing; doesn't seem right, does it?
 Every Saturday morning in July you will find me at a swim meet.  Last Saturday my team, the Donaldson Run Thunderbolts raced Lee Graham.  We won and are now 4-0, which needless to say is very exciting.

Our meet theme was Yacht Club, which started as a joke when I was younger and is now one of the best themes.  (Emily Brooks left and me right). 

I wore this old kids Vineyard Vines shirt (it actually used to be my younger brothers'...oops!) this monogramed hat and an old Lilly Pulitzer skirt.   

Emily Brooks, Ellie Bellios and me, prepped out from head to toe.  

The other teams' theme was "Frat Party," they dressed in togas and put red solo cups and ping pong balls in the pool.  I thought it was hilarious although the parents of the young kids on our team did not.  

Basically every weekend this summer my older brother, Quinn (a raising senior in high school) goes to colleges for football recruitment camps and my dad goes with him.  Therefore, my mom, younger brother and I are left in Arlington.  After the swim meet we decided to drive to Georgetown to shop and explore.  

I always hear people talking about how good the bakery and coffee shop, Baked and Wired is; they did not lie.  This place is a life changer!  The cupcakes and iced lattes were the best I've ever had.  It might be because I live so close to Georgetown Cupcake (literally 5 mins tops) because I don't get the hype over their cupcakes.  They are good but they are not great for the amount of time you have to spend in line to get the cupcake.  

I love individually owned stores, they have so much more character, Baked and Wired was no exception! The people that work there seem to have so much fun and the creative names of the cupcakes show it.  

There were so many different cupcakes to choose from that I couldn't decide what to get so my younger brother, Sean and I both order red velvet cupcakes.  They were so good!!!! I am already craving another.  

I wanted to get a "cute picture" with Sean because I don't seem to have any.  Now I know why... he looks like this in every picture because he doesn't like to have his picture taken.  One of the funniest things is that Sean sorta looks like the viner Nash Grier so many girls will come up to him and ask to take a picture with him because he looks like Nash.  Yet he won't even take one good picture with me....boys! 

I wore these Kate Spade earrings in sea foam green (sadly they don't carry this color anymore) I wore a scalloped crop top from Pac Sun similar to this and these Ray Bans.  

Even though the canal smells bad (as Sean liked to remind us) it does look pretty in the middle of Georgetown.  

Comment below what your favorite bakery is or your favorite places to go in Georgetown.  

follow me on the app Bloglovin by searching www.oliviacoxtopknot.blogspot.com 

xoxo

Olivia 

Summer Swim Team

I have swum for the Donaldson Run Thunderbolts (my neighborhood swim team) every summer since I was 5 years old.  This team is a second family to me and I love being a part of it.  Last night we had division three relay carnival.  This is the first year of me not swimming competitively year round, so it was even a surprise to me when I qualified to be on the 15-18 girls relay team for my pool.  My team is doing amazing this year, so far we are 3-0; so this relay carnival was so exciting for us.  The whole team caravans over from our pool to the pool of the team hosting the meet and everyone is decked out in homemade t-shirts or Donaldson Run gear.

I would say probably every year since I have participated in the divisional relay carnival (which is pretty much every year since I was 7) it has thunder stormed/rained.  Therefore, everyone has to sit out in their cars and wait for the thunder to stop.  So yesterday as soon as our car pulled up to the pool guess what happened?  It started to thunder!!! It may be a tradition but this tradition is getting pretty old to everyone in the NVSL (Northern Virginia Swimming League).  Although, waiting in or outside of coaches cars for 2 hours can be fun at times, especially when it involves dance parties in the rain which makes for interesting team bonding.

After the meet was delayed for two hours the meet ran smoothly! It was so much fun,  I have never seen my team so pumped up for their races or more full of spirit when cheering for their team mates.  My 200m Medley and 200m Free relay both did well, but unfortunately not good enough to qualify for All Stars Relays.  By the end of the night my hands were swollen from clapping and my voice was gone from cheering!  In the end the meet came down to a very exciting victory for my team!!! We won the division three relay carnival by two points!!! We haven't won our division championship since I was 6 years old so this was a very exciting and emotional experience for the whole team!

Division 3 Relay Champs! 

#1 selfie for #1 team

DRRA girls celebrating the win! 

My relay plus one of my coaches

(from left) Stasi, me, Jordan Kruger (coach), Amanda Tarkenton, Ellie Bellios (coach/swimmer) 

Relay getting ready for our race

Spelling out DRRA 

If anyone has ever had to put on a Fast skin swim suit before then they will know how difficult and painful it is.  The suit is tiny and skin tight, having to put one on in a pool bathroom is even more difficult.  They are sorta like spanx, although they push any fat you might have out the side of your suit.  I have always had muscular thighs from swimming and also by having a curvy body these swim suits are a hard fit for my body (left).  

We took the W! 

Anyone else love summer swim team? 

Post about swim coaching coming up soon!

XOXO 

Olivia 

Hula Sue

I love boutiques with all my heart, they are individual in both the merchandise they sell and the whole experience of shopping in the store as well.  Hula Sue has to be one of my all time favorite stores, they contain chic and stylish clothes as well as jewelry and accessories for both outfits and homes.  Hula Sue is located in Rehobeth Beach Delaware.  When I was shopping a couple days ago in Hula Sue, the owner was chatting with my mom and I about Top Knot and how I would love to feature the boutique on the blog; because the clothing is swanky and stylish and I love absolutely everything in it and think it fits my style extremely well.

Panoramic shot of the entire boutique.  Isn't it so cute?!?! 

Corner of the store that is filled with fun home products, jewelry and accessories 

Hello? who doesn't love a chalkboard? 

My mom chatting with the owner and sales girls. 

The boutique is any girls dream! 

I'm in love with this maxi skit, the strip of royal blue at the end is so fun!

I've always been a huge fan of cork and this clutch is no exception.  This is a must have summer accessory, it will go with absolutely everything  

This dress is AMAZING!  I'm so mad I did not buy or take a picture of me in it, because the hanger does it no justice.  This would be perfect for any nice occasion.  It would be a great dress for homecoming as well because no one else would have it.  

Tassels are the newest and coolest trend and Hula Sue did not disappoint!  They had a great selection of tassel necklaces and bracelets.  

more fun tassels! 

How cute would it be to eat off these plates? or drink coffee from these fun mustache mugs in the morning.  Can I just say how obsessed I am with this chevron painting.  

The pom-poms on the lamp shades are too perfect.  

Hula Sue has a great selection of gifts for a birthday or any occasion.  

Christy Hamer, the wonderful owner of Hula Sue, who is rocking one of Hula Sue's cute maxi dresses and tassel necklaces.  

Hula Sue is located at:   149 Rehobeth Ave, Rehobeth Beach, Delaware 19971  

Call them at:    (302)-227-1012 

Instagram:   @HULASUE

Unfortunately Hula Sue does not have a website although, there is one in the making.  This is a link to their Facebook page and this is a link to their Pinterest.   

Share your favorite boutiques below! 

XOXO

Olivia 

Bethany Beach Vacation

I just got back from my family beach vacation for a week at Bethany Beach, DE.  My family (My mom, dad, older brother and younger brother) rented a house with one of my mom's sisters and her family (three girls).  Our house was so close to the beach and a close walk into the downtown (boardwalk) area of the beach.  My mom's other brother and his family always stay in a condo at Sea Colony, resort rentals in Bethany.  My family typically does not vacation with other families so it is always different, yet fun to experience something new.  Also, because I do not have any sisters, this week allowed for me to see what it was like to have sisters, by living with three girls around my age.

The week was so much fun; we went to beach almost every day and laughed almost every second possible.  I love being in the ocean and try to spend every second possible in the water; jumping over the waves, diving through the waves and getting pounded by the crashing waves.  Although, towards the end of the week I found myself laying out on the sand, listening to music and falling asleep to the sound of the crashing waves and the changing tides.  We would stay on the beach practically all day, only going home for a quick lunch break and to reapply sunscreen (my whole family is extremely Irish, so we are all very pale).  At night we would either have dinner at home or go out to eat; although, everything in Bethany is very casual in low key so no one needs to get dressed up at all.

Sea Colony has a sandcastle contest every Thursday on the beach. 

My all time favorite house in Bethany, it reminds me of houses on Nantucket.

My older cousin Mary Farrell (19) on the left and me.  Victoria Secret does not carry the swim suit I am wearing in the picture anymore although, this, this and this are somewhat similar to my bikini, but are cute alternatives.  

Me and my older cousin Annie Farrell (18) on the right.  

My bikini is shown above and I wore these Ray bans  

My cousin Elizabeth Farrell (15 almost 16) and me 

I definitely prefer diet coke although a nice cold can of coke on the beach is good with me.

So we have discovered that my older brother Quinn on the right is the biggest diva in the family and made us take 20 million pictures because he didn't like any of them 

I wore a maxi from Forever 21 with the same pattern as  this maxi although it has a different neck line  (I could not find the exact maxi that I bought) and old Tory Burch earrings similar to these ones.  

We like to pose if you can't tell

Having brothers means you have to be tough because they are not always nice.   

My cousin Elizabeth on the left was wearing a maxi from this store although they no longer carry her dress.  

On Wednesday July 2nd my older brother Quinn turned 17 years old! Our two families went out to dinner at Bethany Blues, it has the best barbecue I have ever had.  

Quinn (17) on the right and Sean (13) on the left, wearing this t-shirt from Collared Greens.  

Brother and sister bonding over barbecue! I'm wearing this romper from the "For the Love of Lilly" post I did.  

Quinn blowing out his 17 candles on his Carvel ice-cream cake (he loves ice-cream cake) with the entire family.  

For my 15th birthday Elizabeth gave me this monogramed hat.  She then got the same hat for herself to match me.  

Elizabeth and I matched with our hats, Mary and Annie matched their hats and our moms matched monogramed hats as well.  

Me and Annie matching in monogramed hats and black bikinis.  

Me (15), Elizabeth (16), Mary (19), Patricia (21) and Annie (18).  

Almost all the girl cousins in one picture, celebrating the 4th!  

Cox Clan! 

Everyone is decked out in their best patriotic outfits.  

Unfortunately the fireworks were cancelled for the 4th of July in Bethany because the previous bad hurricane  weather.  Therefore, we had to improvise and set off our own fireworks.  

"Baby you're a firework...let your colors burst" 

"On a scale of 1 to America, how free are you tonight?" 

I celebrated the 4th of July the best way possible, with my favorite ice-cream flavor, Mint Chocolate Chip.  

I had such a fun vacation and a great 4th of July.  

Share your favorite places to vacation, your own favorite places in Bethany or how you celebrated the 4th of July, I would love to know! 

Also, posts about my favorite places in Bethany and Rehobeth to come!!!

XOXO 

Olivia